Anyone else pregnant and doing CrossFit?

[FTM91]

How far along are you and how are you finding it?

Luckily for me the gym was closed (lockdown) in weeks 7-11 which were the worst for me for nausea and tiredness. Now 13 weeks and back at it (wahoo!)

Shouldn't be a surprise but things I used to fly at I just find so difficult now, and getting breathless much quicker. Even if I think I'm going steady and pacing myself, I'm still dying a few minutes in!!

I know all the evidence says exercise is great for pregnancy but I still find it hard to believe that the little guy/gal isn't being seriously jiggled around in there!

Anyway, bit of a ramble but looking forward to staying as fit and strong as I can through this pregnancy and just wondering if anyone else is also CrossFitting and how they are finding it :)

I don't do cross fit but am a regular runner (5 times a week normally, 20-30 miles a week and did a marathon in Oct). I am 6 weeks at the moment following a successful IVF cycle and went back to running the day after my positive test, after my consultant said it is fine, but to take it steady and listen to my body. Running is my release and therapy, so I was keen to get to back but have been nervous.

Like you I'm struggling with the mental battle of convincing myself it's doing no harm, am getting breathless quicker and my pace has dropped significantly. I've also dropped to running 3-4 times per week and am just doing what feels comfortable. That said, I am feeling more confident with it week on week and am getting used to not pushing myself! I think as long as you listen to your body, accept you will have to adjust your standards and rest when you need to, it's good to keep active 🤞😊

My gp advised me strongly to keep up Crossfit during pregnancy, at 13 weeks its barely up out of your pelvis it's not being affected at all. You can adjust and modify exercises as you get further along, no need to stop at all if you keep enjoying it unless a medical professional tells you to due to a specific risk. If you Google it there's lots of women who stayed doing it right through pregnancy and write about their experiences and modifications.

I did CrossFit until 8 months but very scaled back and twice a week. I was never (& still not as I'mnot as good as most CrossFitters) lifting very heavy weights, toe to bar, etc... My instructors were excellent and alway made sure I had a suitable alternative to any of the WODs. I think for me having the support of the instructors was what made me continue for so long.

@MGee123 congratulations on your successful IVF! You're right, it's a bit of a mental battle, every instinct is to protect what's in there so lots of exercise feels counter intuitive. But I know it will help massively when it comes to labour and then lifting up and carrying babies for the next few years!

@Garman absolutely no intention of stopping :) More just looking to hear other's experiences, learning to pace, listen to your body etc. A couple of ladies from my gym continued right up until 39/40 weeks and I fully intend to be one of them!!

I carried on up until the end. I scaled down my weights and just listened to my body. If I was tired (most of the pregnancy!) I went slowly, if I was a bit more energetic I’d give it a bit more.

I was really tired until about 20 weeks and actually found it got easier after that.

Congratulations!

I've been doing CrossFit for years and had to stop for a while during lockdown (which coincided with my morning sickness!) but now it's back to 2-3 times a week. I would strongly recommend telling your coaches. They can help you modify your movements and keep an eye on you. I'm struggling to get into the mindset of 'moderate' exertion rather than 'CrossFit' exertion, and have been told by my coaches not to go hard enough to be super out of breath. Working with warm-up weights rather than usual weights has been weird but felt better for me in the long run.

Long and short is that it's fine, just listen to your body and slow down when you need to x

Getting out of breath is the biggest risk. If you can’t hold a conversation you may be compromising oxygen to the baby.